1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel, and more particularly, to a plasma display panel capable of reducing the exothermal phenomenon in the panel.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A plasma display panel (PDP) is a flat display device using a gas-discharge phenomenon to display images. A discharge is generated when a potential greater than a certain level is applied to two electrodes separated from each other under a gas atmosphere in a non-vacuum state.
The PDP comprises an upper substrate and a lower substrate. Sustain electrodes (or X electrodes) and scan electrodes (or Y electrodes) are formed on the upper substrate, and address electrodes are formed on the lower substrate. Barrier ribs are formed between the upper and the lower substrates to provide a space corresponding to a discharge cell. Dielectric layers are formed on both the upper substrate and the lower substrate.
Now, the structure of the conventional PDP is explained with reference to FIG. 1, which shows a plan view of a conventional PDP.
As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of barrier ribs 3 are disposed between the upper and lower substrates 1 with a certain distance therebetween. Address electrodes 5 for applying an addressing signal are formed between the barrier ribs 3 on the lower substrate of the substrates 1.
Scan electrodes 7 and sustain electrodes 9 are formed perpendicularly to the address electrodes 5 at certain intervals to form scan and sustain electrode pairs for each discharge cell.
Substrates 1 comprise a light emitting area 11 and a non-light emitting area 13. A plurality of dummy scan electrodes 15 and dummy sustain electrodes 17 are formed in the non-light emitting area 13.
In the conventional PDP as explained above, a driving voltage is applied via address electrodes 5 and scan electrodes 7 to generate an address discharge between these electrodes and to provide a wall charge on the dielectric layer (not shown).
Cells selected by the address discharge generate a sustain discharge between both electrodes 7 and 9 due to the alternating signal provided to the scan electrode 7 and the sustain electrode 9.
Accordingly, the discharge gas present in the discharge space is excited and transformed, thereby generating an ultraviolet ray. The ultraviolet ray excites the phosphor to generate a visible light, which realizes a certain image on the PDP.
The PDP generates heat due to the internal panel discharges as well as heat generation from the circuits. As the heat generated from the discharge tends to propagate to the entire area of the panel due to the conductive characteristic of the solid material, the panel properties are deteriorated.